


Invisible

by Catsitta



Series: Assorted Oneshots [11]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Gift Fic, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, NON-GENDERED READER, Pre-Relationship, Puns & Word Play, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23481376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catsitta/pseuds/Catsitta
Summary: He was a nobody with no body. You’re nobody too. But if you’re nobodies together, then maybe you’re somebody after all.Sans/Reader | Gift Fic | Oneshot
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Series: Assorted Oneshots [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1413808
Comments: 10
Kudos: 104





	Invisible

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday gift for the dear [Han Sama](https://han-doodles.tumblr.com/) on tumblr~ Hope this makes you smile.

You saw him for the first time in the pouring rain. A small, soaked figure with his sweatshirt hood pulled up, one socked foot in a puddle the other in a ruined slipper. He was just standing there outside of the library, head down, not bothering to seek shelter of any kind, his back to the warmly lit glass doors you emerged through with a satchel of books under one arm. Perhaps he was unwell? It wasn’t uncommon for the homeless to come in during bad weather to sleep. Common sense declared that you should walk past, that any one who stood in this downpour couldn’t be all that sane, but compassion dragged you forward, clear plastic umbrella popping open as you stepped into the rain. 

He didn’t move, not until you walked up beside him and held the umbrella over both of your heads. Then, slowly, as if he didn’t understand why the rain no longer beat down upon him, he peered up and then at you. It took every ounce of willpower you could muster not to scream in shock. It was not a man looking at you at all, but a skeleton! Memento mori incarnate. Death. The grim reaper. You both froze, staring, disbelieving. He acted first, flinching away, pulling his hood down over his skull, the little floating dots in his sockets that acted as pupils went wide, “you can see me?”

His voice was not at all what you expected of a ravager of souls. It was quiet and low, words cluttered together in mumble making it harder to place that odd accent of his. 

“W-who are you?” You barely refrained from asking what he was instead.

There was a beat of silence before he shrugged, eyelights dropping to the ground, “nobody. you should go, kid, before the weather gets worse. heard there was supposed to be a storm tonight.”

You take a step back, ready to do as you suggested, but you hesitated. Took in his shivering, small stature, and shook your head, “Nobody. That’s an interesting name you’ve got there, mister. It foreign?”

“could say that,” the skeleton mumbled. He looked back up at you, almost appraising this time. “think it suits me. i mean, i got no body.” You smiled at him. He gave a small huff, “m’serious though. get out of the rain. rumor has it that you folks with skin can’t really handle the wet and cold like skeletons. it just goes right through us.”

“I thought you were Nobody, now you’re telling me you’re Serious?”

He laughed, it was a brief thing, you having obviously caught him off guard, “that’s me. mr. nobody serious.”

“Well Mr. Serious, skeleton or not, you should get out of this weather too.”

“kid, call me nobody, mr. serious was my father,” there was a life in his eyesockets that shimmered like starlight for a brief moment. An earnest joy that came from silly jokes and word play and the fact that you were going along with the act. A joy that faded as quickly as it came, shuttered away as some dismal reality set back in. “i’ll be fine. really. don’t worry. but, uh, thanks. for being concerned and all that.”

He went to walk away, and instead of letting him go without another word, you surged forward and took his hand, guiding the umbrella handle into the sodden mitten. He stilled, silent, as you curled his fingers securely then stepped back. “I’ve got another one at home,” you lied, and before he could give it back, you dashed away, scampering to your car like a rabbit with a fox at its heels. When you were buckled in and looked through your back window, you saw him staring…

Then a family walked by, obscuring him from sight, and when they passed...he was gone.

The second time you saw him was in the park. 

It was clear and sunny, perfect for taking a walk or reading a book under a tree. And you are certain you’ve never seen anyone or anything stare at a hotdog cart with such heartbroken longing. Taking it as a sign from fate or destiny or some other higher power beyond human understanding, you walked up to Nobody, noting that he had on a pair of ratty sneakers now, and there were dark circles starting to make stains beneath his sockets. Who knew a skeleton could look so tired?

When you went home after that first encounter, you told yourself you imagined it all, that it was some strange, loneliness induced delusion. Maybe your brain decided to play a nasty trick with suppressed grief. Guilt and shame and sorrow clouded your dreams for the next few nights. All starring the skeleton dragging long-lost loved ones into the afterlife. Nobody. He called himself that, but if he was your imagining, did that make it a reflection of yourself? It ‘suited’ as he said. Nobody. You were nobody. Nobody out there to care if you were to. just. disappear. 

But then he showed up again. 

No longer a one time occurance. 

“For a guy that’s all bones, you’re eying up those ‘dogs like you wanna pack on some meat.” you quipped, earning a startled stare. His surprise faded just as quick.

“dunno what you mean, kid. i don’t have the guts.”

“You going to order something?” Interjected the salesman, reminding you that you were just loitering at the edge of his stand, probably talking to yourself. With one last look at the skeleton, you nodded. 

“Two please,” you said. “One with all the fixings and the other…” Your gaze trailed to the skeleton, who apparently didn’t have as much self control as he thought as he blurted out, “ketchup.” You nodded. That was easy. “The other with just ketchup.” A couple minutes later you had a pair of hotdogs in either hand as you wandered over to a nearby bench. “Oh no, whatever will I do, I cannot possibly eat both of these by myself.”

Nobody shuffled over and sat beside you, sighing as you handed him the ‘dog, “you don’t play fair, do you?”

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” you replied, happily devouring your unplanned lunch. 

“aren’t humans supposed to be afraid of skeletons? here you are feeding one.”

“Well you are all skin and bones without the skin. It’d be a shame upon my family name to not feed you, my Nanna might even come back from the grave to wallop me with a spoon. I heard stories about that spoon. Don’t want to risk it.”

He sputtered out another laugh, “i’m bein’ serious here, kid. not that i mind, but…”

“Thought you were Nobody and Serious was your father?” At your arched brow, he gave a shrug of defeat. You crumpled the used napkin from your lunch in your hand. “To be honest, I don’t...I don’t know. I’m not even convinced you’re real.” The confession was a weight lifted, one that settled on Nobody like a pallet of bricks. He curled in on himself, as if you just sucker punched him in the nonexistent stomach. “I mean, if you are, I also don’t know why I seem to be the only one who can see you. Unless you’re like, some failed death god or something, banished to our realm to wander until you redeem yourself.”

“you’re not sure if i’m a figment of your imagination or a failed death god and you bought me a hot dog anyway?”

“Sure, why not?”

He didn’t seem to have an answer as he lifted the ‘dog to his teeth. Looking at you from the corner of his sockets, he shoved his meal into his ‘mouth’, and you goggled at him in fascination as it simply vanished. 

“How?”

He wiggled his gloved fingers, “maaaaaagic.”

Some folks say third time’s the charm. 

You were back at the library and so was he, though he seemed less sullen and more expectant. Like he was waiting for something. Or someone. He waved your umbrella at you as you approached. “thought i’d return this.” You didn’t question too much why he was here. Whether he was real and figured you would be back here at the same time as last week to return your books, or if he was a hallucination and you just wanted to see him, he was there before you again. 

“Keep it,” you said, adjusting your satchel. 

For a long minute, you both watched the other in silence, that is until Nobody cleared his throat, “i wanted to say thanks. y’know, for what you’ve done for me this week.”

“I did what anyone would do.”

“nah, you didn’t,” he let the umbrella hang at his side. “you’re a good kid. real good. remind me of...of somebody.”

“Somebody special?”

“yeah.”

“...Are they...around?” He didn’t reply. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“it’’s fine. my bro is...was...the best. i don’t mind being reminded of him.”

“What was he like?” You didn’t ask what happened to him. You wouldn’t want people asking what happened to your family. 

Nobody’s expression softened, “amazin’. he was so good, saw the best in everyone, even me… i thought that the day i saw the sun would be the brightest, but no...it was every day i saw him smile. he was a star. even if i was the only one who could see it.”

“I’m sure he thought the same about you.”

“nah.”

“I’m serious. He probably thought the world of you too.”

“dad, is that you?” The skeleton simpered and you gave him a playful swat. He snickered, a little less solemn. “i just...wish i could see him again, y’know. not that you wanna hear my baggage.”

You leaned forward a little, your arm brushing his. He felt solid. He didn’t move away. He gave you a puzzled look and you smiled, “I don’t mind. You seem like you need someone to talk to.”

“thought you weren’t sure if i wuz real or not?”

“I’m not, but…” You looked up and watched people wander past, some leaving, others arriving, milling around like ants. “...I know what it’s like to lose someone important and feel lost and invisible. To feel like I’m nobody.”

“c’mon, you’re hardly a no body like me,” he nudged your shoulder with his own. “least not to me.”

“Well if I’m not nobody to you, and you’re not nobody to me...does that make us a pair of somebodies?”

He chuckled, “y’know...i think you’re right.”

“C’mon, let’s go inside. I need to return these books.”

“okay.”

“You like reading?”

“yeah. guessin’ you do too?”

“Anything I can get my hands on.”

“heh. same.”

As the automatic doors of the library shut behind you both, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds, washing the world in color.


End file.
